The curbside recycling plan that has been proposed for Christina Lake was announced last week for Area D. The plan would include Grand Forks as well.
The plan would cost residents $70 to $90 a year for the extra service of picking compostable material, as well as residual garbage.
“It will extend the landfill life,” Alan Stanley, RDKB director of environmental services says.
The program aims to remove the organic waste from residual garbage.
Stanley estimates that 40 to 50 per cent of the garbage going into the landfill is organic waste that could be composted.
In the proposed program, residual garbage – things that can’t be recycled or composted – would be picked up every other week with compost every week.
Recyclables would be picked up every other week as well.
Stanley says that when the compostable material – eggs, bones, etc. – are pulled from the residual, the garbage that is left won’t spoil and so won’t be a problem to leave out.
He also addressed concerns that the new organic waste bins would attract wildlife by saying that the bins should resist most small animals.
While there were some concerns, Stanley says that the service is quite cheap when compared to other places that have implemented it.
Some of the complaints came from rural residents, some of whom dispose of garbage by burn barrel.
Stanley says that the method of burning garbage is destructive to the environment and expels many toxic chemicals and dioxins into the surrounding area.
He provided that the service would eliminate any excuse for burn barrels because if the person is paying for the service, they would be much more likely to use it.
RDKB Area D Director Irene Perepolkin says that before the plan goes through they will be looking for feedback on the issue at a meeting tomorrow at the RDKB offices at 6 p.m.
“We are going to have another public meeting on Thursday,” she says. “Rural composting is different than city composting, that’s what I’m worried about.”
The meeting will bring together all the parties involved and allow for concerns such as these to be addressed.